NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND
DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION.

SECTION A: Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information
Under applicable law, we are required to protect the privacy of your individual health information (information we refer to in this notice as “Protected Health Information”). We are also required to provide you with this notice regarding our policies and procedures regarding your Protected Health Information (referred to as “PHI”) and to abide by the terms of this notice, as it may be updated from time to time.

We are permitted to make certain types of uses and disclosures of PHI under applicable law for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations purposes. For treatment purposes, such uses and disclosures will take place in providing, coordinating, or managing healthcare and its related services by one or more of your providers, such as when your audiologist consults with your physician or a specialist regarding your medications, treatment or condition. We may use PHI in counseling you and/or your designated caregiver or for Quality Assurance, improvement activities case management, Medical review and legal services auditing functions.

For payment purposes, such use and disclosure will take place to obtain or provide reimbursement for providing hearing care services, such as when your case is reviewed to ensure appropriate care was rendered. For reimbursement purposes, your PHI may be disclosed to one or several intermediaries employed by your plan sponsor including but not limited to insurers, claims administrators and computer switching companies.

For healthcare operations purposes, such use and disclosure will take place in a number of ways, including for quality assessment and improvement, provider review and training, underwriting activities, reviews and compliance activities; planning, development, management and administration. Your information could be used, for example, to assist in the evaluation of the quality of care you were provided.

For delivery services we may authorize a commercial carrier or our delivery personnel to leave a package without your signature unless you notify us in writing not to follow this practice.

In addition, we may contact you to provide appointment reminders, health screenings, wellness events, or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you. In addition, we may disclose your health information to your plan sponsor. In addition, we may contact you for the purpose of fund raising activities, unless you object.

We may use and disclose your PHI, without your authorization, when the office needs to contact a physician or physician’s
staff and is permitted or required to do so without individual written consent or authorization.

From time to time, we may employ the services of business associates who may assist us in one or more tasks and who may
use, change or create PHI. Business associates are required to comply with all the privacy regulations on your behalf. An
example of a business associate would be our Software Vendor.

We may disclose PHI about you without your authorization to comply with workers compensation laws, as required by law
enforcement, legal proceedings, public health requirements, health oversight activities and as required by law.
Other uses and disclosures will be made only with your written authorization, and you may revoke your authorization at any
time by notifying us as described in Section B, except to the extent the office has already taken action in reliance on a
previously signed authorization form.

You may ask us to restrict uses and disclosures of your PHI to carry out treatment, payment, or healthcare operations, or to restrict uses and disclosures to family members, relatives, friends or other persons identified by you who are involved in your care or payment for your care. However, we are not required to agree to your request.

You have the right to request the following with respect to your PHI: (i) inspection and copying; (ii) amendment or correction; (iii) an accounting of the disclosures of this information by us; (We are not required to account to you for disclosures made for treatment, payment, operations, disclosures to you, disclosures to your care givers, for notifications or as otherwise excluded by law); and (iv) receipt of a paper copy of this notice upon request. The office may require patients to make requests for access to their PHI in writing. The office may charge reasonable charges for requests for PHI greater than one year in age from the date of the request. PHI must be retained by the office for at least six years.

In addition, you may request, and we must accommodate the request, if reasonable, to receive communications of PHI by alternative means or at alternative locations.

This applies mainly to requests for PHI to be sent to Post Office Boxes rather than the address on file or to a phone number other than the number on file. To make this request please contact us as described in Section B.

The office may charge for supplies, labor and the postage involved in preparing PHI for your request. If you desire a price quote for this service you must request one. You have the right to withdraw your request of the PHI prior to the delivery. You may be required to sign a signature log form or to acknowledge receipt of service, to acknowledge receipt of this notice and the disclosure of PHI as outlined herein. We may disclose this information to other persons who ask for you or your prescriptions by name. You may restrict or prohibit these uses and disclosures by notifying a representative orally or in writing of your restriction or prohibition. We are not required to honor those requests. If you request our services, we are able to provide treatment services to you, even if you object to signing the acknowledgment of the receipt of this notice or if we decide not to honor a request regarding the information in this document while noting your requests and refusals in our records. In the event of an emergency or your incapacity, we will do in our reasonable judgment what is consistent with your known preference, and what we determine to be in your best interest. We will inform you of any such uses or disclosures under such circumstances and give you an opportunity to object as soon as practicable.

We may disclose to one of your family members, to a relative, to a close personal friend, or to any other person identified by you, PHI that is directly relevant to the person’s involvement with your care or payment related to your care. In addition, unless you object, we may use or disclose the PHI to notify, identify, or locate a member of your family, your personal representative, another person responsible for care, or certain disaster relief agencies of your location, general condition, or death. If you are incapacitated, there is an emergency, or you object to this use or disclosure, we will do what in our judgment is in your best interest regarding such disclosure and will disclose only the information that is directly relevant to the person’s involvement with your healthcare.

We will also use our judgment and experience regarding your best interest in allowing people to pick-up filled prescriptions, or similar forms of PHI, or in providing delivery of same.

We reserve the right to change the terms of this notice and to make new notice provisions effective for all PHI we maintain. You may receive a copy of this notice by contacting us as outlined in Section B or upon the receipt of care services.  If you believe that your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us at the location described in Section B or to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, 200 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20201. You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.

Section B: Contacting Us
You may contact us for further information at:
Ahlberg Audiology & Hearing Aid Services
Donald Ahlberg, Privacy Officer
2401 North Ocoee Street Ste 201
Cleveland,TN 37311

This notice is effective 3/9/2015.